Bolthole Index

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Zoning, building permits and septic in West Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania

West Hempfield Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania issues its own zoning permits and building permits1. The township enforces Chapter 145 zoning2 and the state Uniform Construction Code3. Septic permits come from a local sewage agency under state law4; we could not confirm which office handles them inside the township, so call the township office first.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the township with third-party plan reviewers and inspectors51
Zoning
Yes, township zoning (Chapter 145) with its own zoning permit and hearing board21
Septic
Permit required from a local sewage agency; which office serves the township is unconfirmed46
RV living
Visitor sleeping only, up to 14 days a year7
Owner-builder
No statewide contractor license for most work; building permit still required85
Wells
Homeowners may drill their own well; no state construction standard for private wells9
County property tax
Lancaster County's effective rate is 1.4%10

Who to call

Building permits

West Hempfield Township (zoning and building permits)

Zoning permits and Uniform Construction Code building permits inside West Hempfield Township

(717) 285-5554

3476 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17601

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in West Hempfield Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does West Hempfield Township have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. West Hempfield Township has its own zoning chapter, Chapter 145, adopted by the Board of Supervisors2. The published ordinance has rural-residential, commercial, industrial and floodplain district articles, so the rules depend on which district a lot is in11. The township issues zoning permits, and a Zoning Hearing Board handles special exceptions112.

Living in an RV is tightly limited. In every West Hempfield Township zoning district, a recreational vehicle or trailer may be used as a dwelling only for sleeping by visitors, for no more than 14 days in a calendar year, and may not be connected to sewer lines or permanently connected to water or electric7. That rules out living in an RV on your lot while you build. Tiny homes are not expressly addressed in the zoning provisions we reviewed, so ask the township zoning office how a specific unit would be classified.

In the R Rural Agricultural District, a mobile home for farm employees is allowed only as a special exception12.

Do you need a building permit in West Hempfield Township, and who issues it?

Yes. West Hempfield Township requires a Construction Code permit for regulated work, and it is unlawful for a contractor to start that work until the owner and contractor obtain and post the permit5. The township administers the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and issues both building code permits and zoning permits1. Projects such as decks, house additions and pools often need both1.

A building permit application is incomplete without any required zoning permit and proof of subdivision, land-development and stormwater approvals13. Fees are split: administrative fees go to the township at application, while plan-review and inspection costs are paid directly to the construction-code official14. Inspections are required before a certificate of use and occupancy is issued15.

Pennsylvania excludes qualifying agricultural buildings with no habitable space from the Construction Code Act, but zoning and other local requirements can still apply16. Owner-builder rules specific to the township were not found; the township office can confirm.

How do septic permits work in West Hempfield Township?

Pennsylvania requires a permit from the local sewage agency before installing, building on, or occupying a property served by an on-lot sewage system4. In Lancaster County those local agencies carry out permitting through Sewage Enforcement Officers6. Which office serves West Hempfield Township specifically is something we could not confirm, so ask the township office at (717) 285-55541 before you buy or design a system.

Soils matter. Countywide, about 45% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots still need a site evaluation and some need an engineered system17. State rules also allow a permit exemption for an owner or immediate-family residence on a contiguous tract of at least 10 acres under specific conditions, so a large parcel changes the answer4. Whether a new home must instead connect to public sewer in the township was not confirmed.

Building a home in West Hempfield Township: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the township zoning office which district the lot is in and whether the use is permitted111.
  2. Confirm the lot abuts a public street or an approved private street, because structures without approved access are not permitted18.
  3. Get septic approval from the local sewage agency before building4.
  4. Secure any required zoning permit and subdivision, land-development and stormwater approvals13.
  5. Apply to the township for the Construction Code permit with the required plan copies131.
  6. Pass the required inspections and obtain the certificate of use and occupancy15.

If the driveway meets a state highway, a PennDOT highway occupancy permit is also required19.

What stays with Lancaster County and the state (and what to check before you buy)?

Lancaster County does not issue building permits or zoning approvals; its Planning Commission supports the municipalities, and each municipality runs its own1. For land outside the township, see the Lancaster County page.

In the Rural Agricultural District, each parent tract may either subdivide one lot or build one single-family dwelling or other principal nonagricultural building, but not both, under a formula based on each 25 acres held on March 14, 197820. Check a parcel's history before you buy farmland.

Pennsylvania does not set construction standards for private water wells, and homeowners drilling their own well are excluded from driller licensing9. Lancaster County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%10. Floodplain rules apply in the township's FP Floodplain District11.

Watch-outs

  • RV living is not a workaround: West Hempfield Township limits dwelling use of an RV to visitor sleeping for 14 days a year7.
  • Which office issues septic permits inside West Hempfield Township was not confirmed; ask the township office at (717) 285-5554 before you commit to a lot1.
  • Floodplain development requirements for the township's FP district were not confirmed; ask the township zoning office11.
  • A farm or barn may be excluded from the state construction code, but township zoning and other local rules can still apply16.

Sources

  1. West Hempfield Township (zoning and building permits) (westhempfield.org)
  2. Chapter 145 Zoning — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 51 Building Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. 25 Pa. Code § 72.22. Permit issuance (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 51 Building Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Municipal On Lot Sewage Service Areas, quoted and re-checked
  7. Section 701 Common Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Apply for a Water Well Drillers License and Rig Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  11. Chapter 145 Zoning — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Section 301 R Rural Agricultural District — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 51 Building Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 51 Building Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chapter 51 Building Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Pennsylvania Construction Code Act — Chapter 1 (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Section 701 Common Regulations — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Section 301 R Rural Agricultural District — Township of West Hempfield, PA (West Hempfield Township), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for West Hempfield Township

West Hempfield Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Work inside West Hempfield Township for which a Construction Code permit is required.

    • Owner, lessee if any, and contractor jointly must determine that the Construction Code permit and all other required permits and approvals have been obtained before work.
    • The contractor or subcontractor may not perform work requiring a permit unless owner and contractor obtain and post it.
    “It shall be unlawful for any contractor or subcontractor to perform any work for which a Construction Code permit is required unless the owner and contractor obtain and post a Construction Code permit as required by this article.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The adopted standards are those Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has adopted as the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, as amended from time to time, together with Township administrative and enforcement provisions.
    “The Township hereby adopts the codes and standards that the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has adopted as the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code identified in Chapter 403 of the Regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, as such standards and codes adopted by the Regulations may be amended from time to time as the West Hempfield Township Construction Code, together with such administrative and enforcement provisions set forth in this article.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside West Hempfield Township requiring inspections before a certificate of use and occupancy.

    • Applicants pay the construction-code official for all required inspections before issuance of the certificate of use and occupancy.
    • The inspecting third-party agency must be different from the agency that performed plan review.
    “Applicants shall pay to the construction code official (which shall be a different third-party agency) costs incurred for all inspections required during the costs of construction prior to the issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy for the structure for which the permit has been issued.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The code page identifies Chapter 145 as the Township's zoning chapter and states it was adopted by the Township Board of Supervisors; amendments are noted where applicable.
    “Chapter 145 Zoning [...] [Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Hempfield 12-28-1988. Amendments noted where applicable.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The published Chapter 145 table of contents identifies rural-residential, commercial, industrial, and floodplain district articles.
    “ARTICLE 300 Rural-Residential Districts (§ 301.1 – § 305.7) [...] ARTICLE 400 Commercial Districts (§ 401.1 – § 403.7) [...] ARTICLE 500 I - Industrial Districts (§ 501.1 – § 504.8) [...] ARTICLE 600 FP - Floodplain District (§ 601.1 – § 625.1)”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwelling-unit types enumerated in § 701.17 inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The cited section applies throughout the zoning ordinance to all districts and lists the stated dwelling types; it does not establish a quoted detached-single-family minimum in the opened material.

    garden apartment minimum habitable floor area: >= 450 square feet · single-family attached townhouse minimum habitable floor area: >= 750 square feet · residential conversion unit minimum habitable floor area: >= 800 square feet

    “Each dwelling unit of the type set forth below shall have a minimum habitable floor area as follows: [...] Garden apartments: 450 square feet. [...] Multiple-family: 450 square feet. [...] Quadraplex: 450 square feet. [...] Residential conversion unit: 800 square feet. [...] Single-family attached (townhouse): 750 square feet.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats parked or stored in any West Hempfield Township zoning district.

    • Dwelling use is only for sleeping by visitors of the owner or occupant and may not exceed 14 days in one calendar year.
    • The unit may not be permanently or temporarily connected to sewer lines or permanently connected to water or electrical lines; temporary water/electric connections are limited to visitor use, loading, unloading, or service.

    visitor dwelling occupancy: <= 14 days in one calendar year (Sleeping by visitors of the owner or occupant of the lot.)

    “Used or occupied for dwelling purposes, except for sleeping by visitors of the owner or occupant of the lot for a period not exceeding 14 days in any one calendar year.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes for farm employees in the R Rural Agricultural District inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The use is a special exception and is subject to § 702.4.
    “Special exception. Any of the following uses shall be permitted as a special exception when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board subject to the standards set forth in §§ 702 and 1005 of this ordinance. [...] Mobile home for farm employees subject to the provisions of § 702.4.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Principal structures erected or moved inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The lot must abut a public street, or a private street built under the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, or meet public-street construction standards in the Township Road and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances.
    “Every principal structure hereafter erected or moved shall be located upon a lot which abuts a public street or which abuts a private street which is constructed in accordance with the requirements for private streets in the Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance or which meets the construction standards for public streets in the Township Road Ordinance and Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. The erection of structures without approved access shall not be permitted.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Construction Code permit applicants inside West Hempfield Township.

    • Administrative fees are paid to the Township at application.
    • Plan-review and inspection costs are paid directly to the applicable construction-code official before issuance of the permit or certificate of use and occupancy.
    “Applicants for permits under this article shall pay to the Township at the time of application all administrative fees. Applicants shall pay directly to the construction code official costs incurred for the review of an application and construction documents prior to the issuance of a permit.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Construction Code permit applications inside West Hempfield Township.

    • Applicant must submit one complete application to the BCO and required copies to construction-code officials.
    • The application also requires evidence of all jurisdictional permits, licenses, approvals, and/or variances.
    • A Construction Code permit application is incomplete without any required zoning permit and proof of required subdivision/land-development and stormwater approvals.
    “At the time of filing an application for a Construction Code permit, the applicant shall present to the BCO one complete copy of the application. The applicant shall provide the construction code officials with the required number of copies for plan review and inspection.”

Rules another office applies inside West Hempfield Township

West Hempfield Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and land development in the R Rural Agricultural District inside West Hempfield Township.

    • The purpose is preservation of agriculture and prime agricultural soils.
    • For each parent tract, the quoted provision allows either subdivision of one lot or erection of one dwelling/principal nonagricultural building, but not both, subject to the stated 25-acre formula and other rules.
    “It is the intent of the Supervisors to preserve and protect agriculture and to preserve prime agricultural soils through limitations on subdivision and land development. [...] For each parent tract there shall be permitted the subdivision of one lot [...] or the erection of one single-family dwelling or other principal nonagricultural building on the parent tract, but not both, with the portion of the existing or newly created lot used for residential or other nonagricultural purposes limited to the maximum lot size set forth in § 301.3A above, for each 25 acres held on March 14, 1978, or if the parent tract was not classified as Rural District or Rural Agricultural District on March 14, 1978, on the date when such land was first included in the Rural District or Rural Agricultural District after March 14, 1978.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask West Hempfield Township or Lancaster County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside West Hempfield Township.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside West Hempfield Township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside West Hempfield Township.
  • Who permits septic — On-lot and community sewage systems inside West Hempfield Township.
  • Septic permit — On-lot sewage systems inside West Hempfield Township.
7 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that West Hempfield Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lancaster County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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